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Friday, February 17, 2012

I have just finished reading what is probably the most intriguing parenting book I have ever read....How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm: And Other Adventures in Parenting Around the World by Mei-Ling Hopgood. This book was absolutely fascinating! Here is the scoop...

A tour of global practices that will inspire American parents to expand their
horizons (and geographical borders) and learn that there’s more than one way to
diaper a baby.

Mei-Ling Hopgood, a first-time mom from suburban
Michigan—now living in Buenos Aires—was shocked that Argentine parents allow
their children to stay up until all hours of the night. Could there really be
social and developmental advantages to this custom? Driven by a journalist’s
curiosity and a new mother’s desperation for answers, Hopgood embarked on a
journey to learn how other cultures approach the challenges all parents face:
bedtimes, potty training, feeding, teaching, and more.

Observing parents
around the globe and interviewing anthropologists, educators, and child-care
experts, she discovered a world of new ideas. The Chinese excel at potty
training, teaching their wee ones as young as six months old. Kenyans wear their
babies in colorful cloth slings—not only is it part of their cultural heritage,
but strollers seem outright silly on Nairobi’s chaotic sidewalks. And the French
are experts at turning their babies into healthy, adventurous eaters. Hopgood
tested her discoveries on her spirited toddler, Sofia, with some enlightening
results.

This intimate and surprising look at the ways other cultures
raise children offers parents the option of experimenting with tried and true
methods from around the world and shows that there are many ways to be a good
parent.

I think this book is simply fantastic. I have read lots and lots of parenting books and never before have I seen a book that covers parenting styles from around the globe. It was so interesting to read about how other cultures handle parenting basics and it really helped broaden my thinking. I really enjoyed Hopgoods writing style and her enthusiam for the subject shines from the pages. This book is an excellent addition to your parenting library and I think would make a unique and thoughtful baby shower gift. Pick up your copy today...

I am so pleased to tell you that TWO lucky RBM readers will win a copy of How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm. Thanks so much to the publisher, Algonquin Books and here is how to enter...
a Rafflecopter giveaway<a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js">You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

When we lived in Finland, we learned that parents would bundle their babies up extremely warmly and let them sleep outside at night. It seemed crazy to me, but my daughter's lung specialist said that bundling them warmly and keeping them outside helps clear their lungs. I'd love to read about Brazil!